Always and Forever
by Claire St. Marie
Summary: Rick & Kate are beginning their "new normal," in love and exploring their new adventures as a couple. The Dragon must have retired to his lair and the new normal is sweet...or is it naive? I own nothing but my fangirl heart, however, I know what I want from A. M. for my birthday... Reviews: Please, please write them. Mild "M" until Chapter 10.
1. Chapter 1

With daylight just beginning to make an appearance through the draperies, Kate keeps her eyes closed, attempting to enjoy just a few more minutes sleep before she… her cell buzzes. She grabs it and hits send without a glance at the screen, "Beckett." Old habits. There's a whirring,vibrating sound in her ear. Frowning she holds the phone away to look at the screen. "Castle? Wh-," more sounds, ones she can identify: running water, mouth swishing, spitting…She looks up through half-opened eyes to see him peeking around the bathroom door, a bit of toothpaste still at the corner of his mouth.

"I still love when you answer like that, so commanding." She knows what he means. He's still a bit enamored with her "cop" persona. Sometimes it bugs her but not today. They say the things that initially attract you to someone, eventually drive you crazy but she feels like it's working in reverse. The things about him that have always driven her crazy, still drive her crazy, only now she finds them endearing. More often than not, she finds herself smiling about some ridiculous thing he's said or done. She's just a big goof, too, silly as he is, and so in love she can barely stand it.

"And in case you're wondering, I am thoroughly in love with the _real_ Kate Beckett."

How does he still do that? How do they? She's amazed every day at how attuned they are with one another. They have an unspoken rhythm. They're inside each others heads, giving voice to each others thoughts. How could she ever have said that he only _thought_ he knew her. Seems like a lifetime ago, maybe a few lifetimes.

"Incoming!" He's coming toward her, monster-walking, with that...that look, wiggling his eyebrows and fingers and making ridiculous, kissy-face movements with his mouth. She quickly covers her mouth shielding him from her morning breath, attempting to stifle the giggles about to escape through her fingers. She holds one hand out to stop him. "No, Castle," she's mumbling from behind her hand, "Morning breath!" She's attempting, unsuccessfully, to give him a look that says she's serious.

Hands on his hips, striking a superhero-like pose he announces, "Why, that's what all the sound effects were for, my dear! I and my trusty electric toothbrush have thoroughly foiled the dastardly villain, _A.M. Halitosis_." He's grinning at the sparkle in her eyes even as she continues to keep her hand over her mouth, quickly rolling and backing across the bed. He knows he has the advantage. He's had all summer to discover all her ticklish spots and he's going in for the kill.

"Not fair, Castle! I'm talking about _my _morning breath," and she seals her lips tight. He catches her as she attempts to slip by him, attempting to escape into the bathroom so that she can place a locked door between them. He's too fast for her, though. He wraps his arms around her waist and as fit as she is, she cannot escape his grip, she turns her face from his, "Let me _go-oh-oh_…" She's laughing now, so hard she can't fight him anymore. Sweet _mother_… did she really want to? God, he was good…better than she'd ever imagined all those months ago, years ago...and she had definitely imagined.

Undaunted, _never daunted_, he pulls her close, nuzzling her neck but more sweetly now, shifting the attack into low gear for that slow burn. She relaxes into him. He's doing that thing he does with his mouth, his amazing mouth and it doesn't tickle and…and he never leaves a mark. Well, he never leaves a mark where anyone but she can see… How does he do that? It feels exactly like he's giving her hickey!

"Stop thinking, Kate." He's humming next to her ear. Does she have a choice? Her thoughts blur. Morning breath? Whatever. He doesn't seem to mind...

/

"Hey, sleepy-head." She opens one eye to see him propped up on his hand, staring at her.

His watching her is no longer creepy, not ever. She smiles and stretches her arms over her head. "Time's'it?"

"Almost 11:00 and as much as I love watching you sleep…and stretch...and, actually, everything." He furrows his brow, "That's only mildly creepy, right? As much as I love all that, it's time to get moving. Think we can be on the road in 45?"

"45? I need a shower and I'm starving...and..._is there coffee_?" She almost whines the part about the coffee. Did he not bring her coffee?

"Right here." He hands her her the steaming cup. "Careful, it's hot. But quickly as you can, jump in the shower and, as much as I'd like to join you..." he jumps up and bows deeply, "I will sacrifice to prepare your sustenance so that we may commence our journey into the countryside."

Her eye-rolling muscles get another workout. "Is that 'Writer-boy' or 'Drama-boy.'"

"Ah, you wound me, Kate! But up-up-up! I really want to get out of the city, head up north. My guy, Zak, I told you about him, classically trained in French cuisine, branched out into Asian? Actually went to Asia to learn. He's just amazing. I have his book...'round here somewhere. We've been so busy, I haven't had a chance to take you to either of his places. Anyway, I don't know if he's been around, either. He's a busy guy, what with two restaurants, writing a book and his appearances on _Chopped_. Anyway, I heard he may be moving to Hudson or thereabouts. What was my point? Oh, he told me about a great coffee shop up in Hudson. It's called 'Swallow Espresso and Coffee.' Don't you just love it?" He's so excited, his voice begins to rise octave. "There's a bakery inside Swallow called 'Loaf' so we can swallow and loaf all afternoon!" He's wiggling his brows at her.

She rolls her eyes at him, once again, grinning. "Castle, you and your "guys!" She actually gets a few words in – _edgewise_, but still.

He quickly inserts, "Have any of them ever steered us wrong?" And on he goes, chattering away, something about a B&B and how they really have time to stay over, at least one night and, yes, he's caught up, he just now emailed the last chapters, and Alexis is settled at school…

Would his silly charm ever get old? Doubtful. But she needs for him to stop talking. "Castle! Kindly, shut up and go make me that breakfast you promised. If you really want to make it in 45…no, make that 35, I have to shower five minutes ago!"

/

He watches her at the breakfast bar munching the last bit of her BLT with cream cheese on half a perfectly toasted whole wheat bagel. She is gorgeous, her damp hair, braided down her back, a few wisps curling to frame her face. And now she's "mmm-ing," low and sexy, over that last nibble of her "brunch." He's pretty sure she's calculated his response to her semi-moaning around that last morsel as she pops it into her mouth. His breath catches, his barely audible gasp of delight escaping as he turns and holds his fist to his teeth. Yes, she knows. She's giving him that smile, the one that comes from the soles of her feet. He's labeled this one her "full-body smile." Nothing does him in like her smiles. Any of them. Well, except maybe the look she's giving him now, through her lashes, eyes slightly closed, gazing up at him…Noo! No, they have to get on the road. He's not sure how late the coffee shop will be open on a Sunday.

/

"So, have we really run out of coffee shops in the city, Castle?"

"Zak says this coffee is better than any he can get in the city." He opens her door to the Ferrari and stows her bag and their small overnight. "Besides, this baby's been sitting for far too long. I like to open her up on the highway more often than I've had a chance to lately." She looks away, knowing that's her fault. She'd avoided the Ferrari when they first got together. She'd made excuses time and again for why they should take her car or a taxi... or the subway! Anything but the Ferrari! He'd finally confronted her about it. It was a tough conversation but she'd finally confessed that she kept picturing the blonde flight attendant in the drivers seat. More than that, she'd told him how hurt she'd been when he'd pulled away, shadowing that other crazy cop. It was a really vulnerable moment, telling him that it went beyond jealousy. She thought she'd lost him, that she'd run out of chances. He'd been really sweet, not diverting from her pain to focus on his own. He'd held her for a long time, both of them shedding some tears. Her eyes sting a bit now, just remembering.

"Hey, you all right, Kate?"

She reaches for his hand and twines her fingers through his. She presses the back of his hand to her lips. "Yes, Rick, I am more than all right and I am so grateful for you in my life."

He pulls out onto the street, pressing her fingers to his very satisfied smile.

/

Time and the miles fly by and they're pulling onto the quaint little main drag of Hudson in what seems like no time at all. Warren Street... "Oh, Rick, look at all the little shops and galleries. Have you been here before? I don't know what I was expecting but this is lovely"

"No, I've never been here. The architecture's late 18th century...this is a really old town."

"Oh, look, there's an ice cream shop called, 'Lick.' It seems they're very directive here!"

"Yes, you can 'Loaf,' 'Lick,' and 'Swa-'"

"Yes, Castle, I get it!" She gives him a look feigning disapproval then turns her head to smile. Age 5? Age 12? Take your pick but he knows no filter!

"Hey, there's Swallow! And here's a parking spot. Do you want to look for one on the same side as the shop?"

"This one's perfect, Rick. Walking across the street is hardly a problem and both sides of the street look pretty full. We can get coffee, go check out the shops, and wind up back here for more coffee. You game?"

"I am, Ms. Beckett! Lead the way."

Inside the shop, Rick glances at the menu board. "Looks like they take their coffee very seriously here, no froo-froo coffee drinks."

She teases him, "I'm sure you'll survive without your froo-froo drink just this once, Castle! I'll take an iced Americano." He gives her his _I'll get even with you_ look and turns back to the menu.

"That sounds good. Iced. It's warming up out there." She leaves him in line to see if she can find somewhere to sit.

The line isn't bad but most of the seats are occupied. People have their laptops out, some are chatting together or waving to someone they know across the room. It really is a comfortable place, friendly. There's even an art exhibit on the walls. Very nice. As she looks around for a place to sit, Kate notices a seat at the counter that faces the window onto the street. The seat is next to a little blonde boy, age 5 or 6 maybe. He's very focused on a picture he's drawing. The seat next to him seems to be the only one that's empty but Kate doesn't want to assume.

"Is your Mommy or Daddy sitting next to you?" Kate asks.

"No," says the little boy, "Mommy's at home. Dad's getting her coffee. He already made me some chocolate milk," pointing to his cup. "My dad makes the best chocolate milk. Sometimes he lets me help."

Kate, still not wanting to assume, asks, "So would it be all right if I sit in this seat next to you?"

The little boy glances from the seat to Kate. "Sure. This is my dad's coffee shop. We let people sit where they want to."

Kate smiles and takes a seat on the stool, glancing at Rick who seems to be next in line. "So, that's quite a drawing you have there."

"It's a big dinosaur at the park. He's like a Tyranadon. His name is Buttertropper and... you might be scared of him if you saw him but I'm not and my dad's not." He considers his drawing of the dinosaur for a few seconds. "Ella might be. She's just little, like one-and-a-half."

Kate feels Castle at her back. He hands her the iced Americano. Their eyes meet, smiling. This is their ritual, him presenting her with coffee. It's already happened once today but she feels the little flutter in her chest, anyway. _Nothing_ _has changed and everything has changed_, she thinks, and her smile broadens as she feels her cheeks flush a little.

"This young man's dad owns the coffee shop. He's been telling me all about his picture of Buttertropper the dinosaur."

"I heard. That's quite a story, young man. Maybe you'll be a famous author someday. What's your name so I can tell people I knew you when?"

"My name's Emery but I'm not going to be an author, I'm already a super hero!"

"Well, I'm a super hero, too, much like Batman."

"Well... I'm not a super hero like Batman..." pausing, Emery considers which super hero would trump Batman. Louder he says, "I'm a super hero like Astro Boy!"

Kate stifles a laugh and Rick's eyes widen as he smiles at Emery. Yes, this little boy and her big boy have some things in common, including intensely blue eyes fringed in thick dark lashes.

About that time a man, who can only be Emery's dad, walks up carrying a little blonde girl with another set of beautiful blue eyes. "This must be Ella," Kate says. The toddler smiles and dips her head onto her dad's shoulder at the mention of her name. All three of them, the dad and the two children, have beautiful blue eyes.

"Em, let's give this man your seat so we can get this coffee to your mom." Rick and Kate exchange a quick look, smiling.

"I was just telling the humans the story about Buttertropper."

"Emery, how do you know we're humans and not aliens?" Rick is at ease, interacting with the boy.

"By your eyes and your hair and..." Emery pauses, "by your talk. Aliens talk like aliens and humans talk like humans." Emery frowns a bit, looking directly at Rick, possibly a little concerned about an adult who could not tell the difference between humans and aliens.

Emery's dad chuckles and shakes his head a bit. "That's great, Bud, but you know we need to get going if we're going to the Big City."

"Ah, we just came from the Big City! Needed to get out for a day or two. My name's Rick Castle and this is Kate Beckett."

"Rick - Richard Castle, the mystery writer? I thought you looked familiar" Rick and Aaron shake hands and Aaron extends his hand to Kate, as well. "Aaron Dibben. I'm the owner of the shop. I've read a few of your books. Don't have a lot of time for that these days," he smiles, "not with the shop and the kids."

"Mysteries? Like with clues?" Emery joins in, "I solve mysteries all the time. You have to look for clues. Sometimes you have to retrace your steps"

"That's very true, Emery," says Rick. "It sounds like you're a detective _and_ a super hero!" Emery nods, emphatically, at this acknowledgement.

"Mr. Castle writes about mysteries in his books, Em."

"Do your books have pictures?" Emery asks, hopeful.

"I'm afraid not, Emery."

"Oh, daddy-books," He looks a little disappointed. "If you put pictures of the clues in your books you can make it easier to solve the mystery." He gives Rick a look that says he really should have thought of this. "When I get big, I'm going to read books all by myself, just like Daddy!"

"That's great, Emery!" Rick and Kate say together.

Aaron smiles and picks up his coffee tray, making it look easy to juggle coffee while holding one child and moving in the direction of the other, who's suddenly off to hold the door for his dad. "Not going to need any clues as to 'who dunnit' if I don't get this coffee to Sarah. Nice to meet you, both. Hope we see you again."

"Oh, you will!" says Kate, "Coffee's kind of our thing."

Kate and Rick watch out the window as the man fastens his kids into their safety seats. Kate thinks about their blue, blue eyes. She wishes she'd asked what color Sarah's eyes are. Kate might not have blonde children but she certainly might have blue-eyed children...

Rick interrupts her thoughts like he's reading her mind again, "That little girl is adorable. She has such beautiful blue eyes. Emery, too. Both of them are adorable."

"Yeah. Sweet family. The dad looks like Liev Schrieber, don't you think?" asks Kate.

"Quite a lot. Does Liev Schrieber have blue eyes? Aaron definitely does; maybe bluer than mine." He waggles his brows at her and leans in for a brief kiss. "You ready to do some exploring, Kate? Maybe solve some mysteries?"

"Always, Rick. Always."


	2. Chapter 2

"Rick, I really want to get back today." They've already stayed an extra night and they'd had so much fun, walking in the woods, napping together in the hammock, having dinner at the Stagecoach Tavern. Quaint is an overused descriptor for a lot of the little inns and taverns in New England but this place has a special charm owing to their hosts, Eve, Allegra, and Emery's "guy," Dave. Aaron and Emery hadn't steered them wrong. Kate smiles again, thinking about the conversation.

They'd stayed in Hudson Sunday night, getting up early with plans to explore some of the shops they'd missed Sunday afternoon. They'd arrived at the coffee shop Monday morning just as Aaron and Emery were opening the door to greet their first arrivals. The aroma of the fresh brewed coffee was heady on the crisp morning air.

"You want to get a 'sticky bun' with your coffee," Emery had recommended, matter-of-factly, "They're my favorite."

Rick and Kate had"oohed and ahed," over their pastries and not just for Emery's benefit. The breakfast buns were really tasty.

"Hey, Aaron...Emery, we're going to explore the countryside after we take in Warren Street. Do you have any recommendations for places we should check out or places to stay tonight?" Aaron had told them about some of the places of interest in the area and about the Stagecoach Tavern and Racebrook Lodge. He told them to ask for Dave, Allegra, or Eve. "Tell them I sent you," said Aaron. Emery joined the conversation, proclaiming enthusiastically, "Tell Dave you know Emery. Dave is my guy!" Rick had beamed at Emery as if the child had quoted from one of his books. Though she'd made a valiant effort, Kate couldn't hold back her laughter. Aaron had smiled politely but his expression had been a bit puzzled. Between giggles, Kate had tried to explain about Rick's "guys" but it probably continued to be more of an inside joke. Information in hand, the couple bid their hosts farewell and headed out into a beautiful morning. Pocketing their directions to Racebrook, they'd continued to poke around in a few of the shops.

By early afternoon, though, they were on the road heading to Sheffield to visit Racebrook Lodge, both of them singing at the tops or their lungs: Billy Joel, The Box Tops, Jason Maraz, Bonnie Raitt. Rick even joined her singing Paolo Nutini's_ Candy, _ He sang to her; she sang to him. They sang together, harmonizing pretty well, she thought.

They laughed and laughed and laughed. Even in her favorite fantasies, she had not imagined how much fun it would be just to be with him, her guard dropped, the wall dismantled. She would be with him just for the laughter. She could even make a good case for being with him just for the sex. As a lover he was tender and curious, considerate and passionate and wild, all the while making her feel safe to be all those things, too. In fact, she'd just thought of that. She's always been more bold with him, more flirtatious, more herself than she's ever been with anyone else. In her wild-child days she'd been bold and she'd flirted plenty, too, but now with him, it's more real, more honest. She reaches over and takes his hand. He smiles at her and she smiles at him and they're grinning at each other like a couple of fools. Augh! She is so crazy in love with him. How does it get any better than this?

After initially missing the Racebrook driveway...by about three miles, they turned around and eventually pulled into the parking lot. They were trying to decide where they should enter when an attractive middle-aged woman approached them. "You must be Richard Castle and Kate... I'm Eve. Sarah called and said to expect you."

Kate smiled at Eve. "Oh, how nice! We didn't actually meet Sarah but we visited with Aaron and Emery and we briefly met Ella."

"Well, Sarah thought we might want to know that we were about to be visited by a celebrity."

Kate didn't think she'd ever seen Rick blush but his cheeks had turned rosy and he seemed unsure what to say, "Well – I don't know – I ..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Castle, we want to make you comfortable and make sure you enjoy your stay with us."

"It's Rick- please, call me Rick."

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Rick." She turned to Kate. "And you, too, Miss..."

"Oh, call me Kate. My last name's Beckett but, please, call me Kate. And I'm very pleased to meet you, as well. This is a lovely setting. I'll bet it's really beautiful in a couple of weeks when all the leaves have turned."

"Oh, it is. Will you be staying long enough to see them...or maybe returning if you're not?"

"No, we'll be staying just one night," Kate quickly supplied. Rick smiled and shook his head at her.

He winks and fills Eve in, "Miss Beckett thinks we'll turn into pumpkins if we don't rush back to the city tomorrow but, who knows, maybe we can come back."

Eve smiled at the couple. "We just had a big group check out and it will be just a bit before your room is ready. The tavern isn't officially open but I can definitely find some lunch for you while you wait."

Rick remembered to inquire, "Oh, Emery wants us to meet Dave. Is he around? He told us that Dave is his 'guy.'"

"Oh, yes, Dave and Allegra will definitely want to meet you. Dave and Emery are like _that_," Eve crossed her fingers, holding them in the air. "Emery was a fixture at the Stagecoach from the time he was just a baby. Sarah was our chef then and Emery was a frequent visitor." She lead Kate and Rick into the Stagecoach, seating them in a wooden booth near the bar.

Rick looked around, excitedly, "Kate, isn't this awesome! Look at the floors, they must be original. I wonder if the bar is..."

About that time they noticed a wiry, older gentleman with a shock of white hair heading in their direction. This had to be Emery's guy.

"Hello, I'm Dave. I hear my guy, Emery, sent you." Kate had been able to control herself this time by smiling deeply, biting her lip, and avoiding Rick's eyes.

"Yes," Rick said, "I'm Rick and this is Kate. Emery said we should be sure to tell you that we know him."

All three chuckled at this and began shaking hands. Allegra had joined them just in time to get in on the introductions. "Emery sent these fine people our way," Dave had announced.

"So I heard," replied Allegra. "That is a good name to drop in this establishment."

About that time Eve had entered carrying a platter of finger-foods, three kinds of dip, and a bowl of some kind of pasta and seafood salad. "What can I get you to drink?"

They all shared a bottle of wine that Rick was delighted that they had. He and Dave chatted about the history of the tavern and the lodge. Kate asked about the garden she'd noticed as they'd parked the car. She loved that they grew some of their own herbs and vegetables. They enjoyed some lively conversation and they'd learned a bit more about Aaron and Sarah. As it turned out, Aaron's quite a wine expert, too. As the conversation began to wane, Eve offered to show them to their room. The wine had made Kate sleepy and she wanted to take a nap and maybe shower before dinner though she wasn't sure if she'd be hungry again until morning.

Dave told them, "You're obviously welcome to nap in your room but we also have some great hammocks hanging in the trees. You can even take a blanket from the room if you think it'll be too chilly."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful," Kate yawned, covering her mouth. "Excuse me."

Rick started to ask about trails and hiking and Kate leaned her head on his shoulder. He'd realized he better get her to a hammock or a bed pretty soon or she'd be napping right there.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty," he'd said, hoping he didn't sound patronizing. She'd smiled at him so he must not have offended. "So is it bed or hammock?"

"Hammock," Kate smiled. "But lets get that blanket."

/

While getting ready for breakfast the next morning, they're discussing again, _or still_, whether or _when_ to start back to the city. Kate can tell that Rick would stay all week if she would just give the nod. They'd had a peaceful, relaxing nap on the hammock and still had time for a walk along the stream that ran near the lodge. Then they'd had a beautiful, romantic, candle-lit dinner in the tavern. The food was casual, the ambiance cozy. The temptation to stay tugs at her. In some respects, they have all the time in the world except for Kate's lunch date with Alexis. Not vocally, but Kate has been obsessing about it since she'd told the girl she would meet her. She is to the point of wanting it to be over.

"You know, I'm meeting Alexis tomorrow for lunch."

"Yes, I think you've mentioned that a couple of times. He smiles at her, that teasing expression in his eyes. "But it's like I said, we could call Alexis and see if she'd be willing to reschedule..."

"No, I really don't want to reschedule. I think it's better to stick with our plans. I mean I don't want Alexis to think that I don't follow through with things."

"Oh, OK... Are you stressing about lunch with my daughter?" He asks this with no attempt to hide his surprise. Clearly, he thinks she's being overly cautious.

"No! I'm fine...well, maybe a little. Alexis seemed very..._formal_ when she asked me to meet her. I just...I just don't want there to be any chance of misunderstanding. I don't want her to be disappointed or...I don't know..." Only, actually, she does know. She does not want Alexis to be angry with her. She wishes she could take back some things, have a few do-overs with regards to how much fear and worry she's put the young woman through. The trust they're beginning to rebuild still feels tentative and fragile. And if her connection with Alexis isn't solid, really, really solid, it will eventually put a strain on her and Rick. Not that they wouldn't be able to maneuver around it but working around it isn't something she wants to have to do. She knows she can't undo the way things happened, can't just wish it away. There'd been a time when she and Alexis had been close but then Kate had hurt Rick. She understands it's the hurt that's impacted her connection with Alexis, as much or more than the danger she's put him through. Rick has admitted freely that Alexis is, in many ways, the adult in their relationship. She's taken care of him, making sure he was OK. For most of the years of her young life, with a few exceptions, it had been working pretty well, and then she'd had to stand by, helplessly, while her dad went through all that hurt, hurt caused by Kate. Kate understands that role. Right or wrong, she'd had to take care of her own dad after her mother died. If anyone would have put him through half the heartache...well, she wouldn't have been nearly so gracious or willing to put up with someone who could treat her dad that way. So it's no wonder Kate feels like she's being called into the principle's office for fighting on the playground. She's thinking about how the conversation will go. Will she, herself, start the conversation? "So, Alexis, you called this meeting with me today," or "I supposed you're wondering what my intentions are with your father." Ha-ha-No. No, she's going to play it by ear, she's going to let Alexis lead because if she doesn't then she'll just wind up tongue-tied or worse.

"Kate? Where'd you go? Do you want to go back to Hudson for coffee or do you want to pop over to Great Barrington and see what they have to offer?" Kate hadn't been listening, her focus was somewhere far from their light morning fare.

"Sorry. Either is fine with me. I'd just like to get back by 5 or 6." She takes care to say she'd like to get "back." She avoids referring to Rick's place as "home." They've had that conversation a few times, too. He thinks she's being overly cautious; he thinks she should just move in. It's cliché, really. She's there 95% of the time...well, make it 99%...oh, just face it, she goes to her apartment to knock down a few cobwebs every other week. They were in the Hamptons most of the summer but she'd told herself that was different. Who does she think she's kidding? Once she gets her winter things, her apartment will be just a shell. She even has a lot of her personal effects, photos and trinkets at his place. It's just...just...

"So, it's definite, we're going home today? We could drive back in the morning. Or, seriously, Alexis can be flex..."

She cuts him off, "Rick, before my lunch with Alexis, I want to be back in our own place, be in our own be-?" Oops! There's not a chance in hell he wasn't paying attention to her little Freudian slip. Shifting her eyes to the scenery doesn't mean she misses his deer-in-the-headlights posture.

He pauses and then says, "Actually, that sounds good." He gives her a break this time, not launching into all the reasons she should just move in. She relaxes into her seat. She hadn't even realized she was tense. She knows the unspoken meaning of what she's just said and why it sounds good to him and she wants to kiss him for not "going there." They're having a great time, so relaxing and fun to explore places neither of them has been before. She knows she'll be ready for that next step soon. She wants to be uncomplicated, she really does. Regardless of what Burke says about each person being responsible for his or her own feelings, she doesn't want to feel like she's the cause of that deer-in-the- headlights look on his face – no, not ever. There's something, though, something she's not getting. She thought when the wall came down there'd be no more fear and no more pride. Ah, the onion, they're peeling it away together, layer by layer.

/

He doesn't really get it. She won't move in with him, not yet, anyway. Well, it's more that she won't let her apartment go. That's what would make it "official." If her little slip of the tongue is any indication, she's at least considering the idea. He knows it's best to let her come to that choice on her own. She is coming to him. Little by little, she'd made her way to that first night when they'd finally made love. She'd nearly gotten killed coming to the recognition that he was what she wanted, that she loved him. And her getting to that has made him the happiest he's ever been. He hopes they can get to the next step with no life-threatening incidents. So far nothing has happened, no threats. He's beginning to think they're all safe.

/

They pull into a parking space. This must be Great Barrington she thinks. He's evidently opted for more new scenery. "Aaron said there's a little coffee shop around back of Rubiner's. It's called Rubi's, same family, I think." He puts the top up on the car in a matter of seconds and they're out of the car and across the street, walking down a little alley-way. "Here we go. Why don't you sit at the table out here and I'll bring you something delightful. Hot or cold caffeine, my dear?"

"Hot, please." The air has a hint of chill. The sun is warm but it's good there's no breeze and she's glad she's got her jacket. Kate takes a seat and looks around. The view is of the backside of the stores and of parking lots and houses. There's a close train that she actually glimpses as it travels along it's track less than a quarter mile away. It's blowing it's whistle. She loves that sound. This is another sweet town, possibly not as old as Hudson but with a different charm.

A young woman with a beautiful tattoo down one arm is holding the door for Rick to pass through. He sets the coffee and an assortment of goodies on the table where she sits. It's far too much for therm to eat. He has a tendency to do that when he's unsupervised but she's becoming accustomed to his excesses, at least to some extent.

He takes the seat across from her. "Richard Castle, have I told you how happy I am?"

"Why, no, Katherine Beckett, you have not." He smiles so much these days, his jaw hurts. "How happy are you?"

"I'm very, very happy. I am extremely happy," and with a faux serious face she tells him, "I want you to know, in all seriousness, how extraordinarily happy I am." Then they're grinning at each other and their grins turn to giggles, both laughing and enjoying how seriously happy she is, how happy they both are.

They're mmm-ing an yummy-ing over the sampling of goodies Castle's selected but soon they pick up their coffee and set off, coffee in hand, to explore the shops. It's familiar to fall in with each other, walking and sipping coffee, smiling, walking close together they amble along the back side of the shops. A few have back entries, others have only delivery doors. They choose an open door that leads through to Main Street in order to check out some of the stores' entrances.

"Odd, have you noticed many of the shops are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday...Do you think there's some secret town meeting on those days? Something to do with alien abduction or perhaps...zombies?" He grins and cocks an eyebrow at her.

"Castle, will you stop with the aliens and zombies...and vampires!"

"I said nothing thing about vampires bu-"

"I know, I was covering all the bases!" She rolls her eyes at him because he expects it but she's grinning, too.

"Well, then, Beckett, what's your explanation?"

"It's a weekend town, Castle. People come up here for the weekend. Sometimes a three-day weekend goes through Monday. There's probably not a lot of business mid-week, especially the antique stores and the galleries." She trails off, "I do wish that one jewelry store had been open, though. They had some interesting photographs of their jewelry in the display windows..."

That would have been nice, he thinks. He would like to get acquainted with her taste in jewelry for future reference. "We can always come back for a weekend, Kate. It's really close. Easy to see why it's a weekend destination.

Tucked in the corner of one block there's a metaphysical bookstore, _Crystal Essence_, and it's open. He grabs her hand and leads her into the shop, "Kate, you never know, you may still find some magic that you can believe in." She rolls her eyes at him again and lets him lead her. "Rick, you are all the magic I can handle." He waggles his eyebrows at her and puts his arm around her shoulders, suddenly hugging her close for a moment. "I love you, Kate," he whispers in her ear.

"Bookstore" is definitely a misnomer. There are so many things besides books. The store is filled with all kinds of beautiful crystals, exotic jewelry, even clothing. There's incense and body products and announcements of upcoming appearances by psychics, shamen, yogis, and natural health experts. Everything is beautifully displayed. What a nice surprise, she doesn't find it weird or off-putting at all. She might even like to return. It's the kind of store where one could spend hours and not see everything. She feels like she's just started browsing in earnest when she feels him guiding her toward the exit, grinning all the while. "There's another store I want to show you before we have to 'get out of Dodge.'"

"I thought you hadn't been here before, either."

"Oh, I haven't! It just caught my attention on our way here." He's walking with purpose now, like he's in a bit of a hurry. He doesn't even stop when they pass an ice cream store, instead he simply says, "Oh, here's our stop for lunch! What do you say?" He keeps walking, though, and then she sees it, "Tom's Toys." Perfect.

It's a charming old-fashioned toy store, walls lined to the ceiling with all sorts of playthings. Shelves in rows hold even more. "So many things to try, so little time," he sounds a little like the boy in the Disney commercial, the one who can't sleep because he's so excited. Tom's Toys has a way of making them lose track of time until their stomachs are growling. She argues that ice cream is not substantial enough but loses that one as they head back across the street to SoCo Creamery where they indulge in ice cream for lunch. He promises there's an Indian restaurant down the road that Aaron said is pretty good. They'll hit that before they grab the highway back to the city. They head toward the car, still stopping at a few shops as the mood strikes.

He reaches to open the door for her and she wraps an arm around his neck, pulling him to her for a brief but passionate kiss. He gasps a bit. "You literally take my breath away!" He grins into her eyes.

"Have to keep you on your toes, Castle."

"Yeah, or knock me off my feet!"

"Yeah, I heard that your heels are a bit round...long before I proved it."

"You know, I'm sure there are some little by-the-hour motels along the way back..." he whispers.

"What's the matter, Castle, you can't multi-task?" With that she ducks her head and folds her long legs into the car.

He runs around to the driver's side and gets in, puts the key in the ignition and fires her up. Kate's cued up an old Eurhythmics song on her iPod. As they pull onto the road Annie Lennox soothes, "Sweet dreams are made of this..." Yes. Yes, they are.


	3. Chapter 3

And, he's awake...because she is. He's sensed it for a couple of hours, each time he was on the _out_ side of in-and-out-of-sleep. He must have dosed pretty heavily the last time because he hadn't heard her actually slip out of bed. _Their bed_...Ha! She's not here to hear him think it! (_ping!_) What's she doing in there? He hears paper rustling and a couple of cabinet doors closing... He furrows his brow, picturing her trying to be quiet. She's doing a pretty good job of it. He glances at the clock; it's not even 6 a.m. It hadn't taken very long to get to the point where he doesn't sleep well without her next to him. He estimates she's been out of their bed for about 30 minutes. Now there's a little crash! He smiles because that's his excuse. He can now rush in and see what's going on...and he does.

"Are you okay?" He knows he's a little more dramatic than necessary but figures it covers any intrusiveness she's sure to see in his barging through the door.

She's sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bathroom floor, a medium-sized cardboard box between her legs and several piles of stuff placed around her. She looks up at him, sheepishly, "Sorry, I thought I could keep quiet enough not to wake you."

"In case you hadn't noticed, I don't sleep very well when you're not sleeping beside me. Your absence from ourbed is really loud." He rubs his eyes and blinks in the glare of the vanity light. He notices the hot curlers plugged in on the counter and wrinkles his forehead. "What are you doing? Did your meeting with Alexis get moved to breakfast?"

"No... I just – I wasn't sleeping so I decided to start getting ready and then...the shower would be too loud so...I decided to sort through this box I brought from my apartment last week...and-"

Hmm...a box of stuff she brought and hadn't told him about. Yes, they're making progress. "So you sneaked a box of stuff in so...you wouldn't have to tell me you're moving in?" he teases her, "That's pretty sly of you." He gives her a sleepy grin with an equally sleepy raised eyebrow.

She's makes an attempt to hide her smile with a quick eye roll and feigned indignation, "I most certainly did not _sneak_ this box in here, Castle!"

His smile disappears, replaced by a hand to his chin and a mock look of suspicion as he proceeds to play at interrogation, "Really, Ms. Beckett? Was I at home when you introduced said box into my dwelling?"

"I...I don't remember. I think you were writing."

"Really. So you waited until I was otherwise occupied and deep in concentration, a time when you could have brought in a whole truckload of boxes?"

"No – I..."

He has that devilish look in his eyes and she's grinning up at him and suddenly he's too curious. He plops down across from her on the floor, also sitting cross-legged, and peers into the box. "So, what do we have here?"

"Nothing, Castle, it's just...stuff."

"'Castle,' is it? Twice in the last 60 seconds. You always call me 'Castle' when you're attempting to maintain control of a situation. It's a kind of a tell, you know. You opt for it when you think I'm gaining the upper hand."

"_Upper hand?"_ I call you 'Castle' when you're being _annoying_!"

"Hmm...that's exactly what you would say."

"That's _exactly _what I did say." She gives him a major, earnest eye-roll this time.

He switches gears and once more becomes the goofy, excited 12-year-old, "So, what's in the box?"

"Well, actually, there's not much left _in_ the box. I'm just sorting to see what I can get rid of, what I want to keep."

"Oh, and how do you choose what to keep?"

Kate shifts, a little uncomfortably. Is it the hard floor or the topic of conversation? She's shuffling the piles, stalling, "If you must know, I'm...well, I consulted a professional organizer, a woman in Albuquerque named Hazel." Rick is giving her a genuinely puzzled look. "I looked her up online and emailed her." The puzzled look remains on his face and Kate is all but squirming, "At first I didn't realize that she was all the way in Albuquerque but that doesn't matter. She consults all over the United States." Kate knows that she's said a little too much, just enough that he'll pester her if she doesn't give a logical explanation. Like the truth. "I told her that I _might_ be – that at some point I could be – and that if, in the future we – Oh...jeez, I asked her that...if we were to choose to combine households, did she have any tips for that."

She hates fumbling her words like that. So not smooth. When she finally looks up at him, his eyes are glistening. He has a tight-lipped grin on his face and his adam's apple is working up and down, swallowing. He loves when she gets flustered, isn't quite perfect, and this is big. She's considered it and she's saying so out loud. His voice is low and slightly choked when he teases her, "I hope Hazel could decipher your email with all that stammering..."

"Shut up, Castle...Rick, just don't go th-"

She hears his voice interrupt her even though he's speaking softly, "But you're thinking about it? About moving in."

"Of course I'm thinking about it." Her own voice is just as soft as his as she reaches to touch his fingers that are resting on the box. She's been avoiding his eyes but then she looks up, "I think about it everyday. Surely, you know that."

"I guess I do. I just think...I wish we would talk about it."

"Rick, when we talk about it, I feel like there's all this pressure..."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pressure you. I just get so excited. I've been married two times, Kate, and nothing has ever felt so right as being with you. I think this may be the only time I've ever been in love."

"Yeah, me too...And I don't think I've told you but I've never lived with anyone, either."

"Not even..."

She holds up her hand, stopping him from all the queries, all the "Not even's..."

"No, no one. I – my dad, for all the mess he was after my mom died, he could see the mess I was in, too, and he had this talk with me. That day, for that talk, he was sober. He didn't even seem hung over. He knew I was into motorcycles and bad boys that were being turned into cops at the academy. But he told me, 'Katie, I don't expect you to be a virgin on your wedding night. Life wasn't much like that even when your mother and I fell in love. I'm actually grateful we don't have to have that kind of talk. But I do want you to pay attention and don't make choices that will put you heart in jeopardy. When you give someone your body, make sure the choices are worthy of your heart.'"

"Wow. That must have been hard for him."

"God, it was excruciating. I guess for both of us. Actually it wasn't a very long speech, just a few sentences, but it seemed like he was going on and on. When he'd started, he turned beet red, literally. But he kept trying to make eye-contact and I...well, I just couldn't. No doubt, I was every bit as red, myself. I kept looking down. I only glanced at him sideways a couple of times and wanted to stop him so badly. I imagine he was probably wishing my mom was there so she could do it. And I wanted to say, 'Hey, Dad, Mom covered this already,' but I couldn't open my mouth. Then, when he was done, all that color just drained from his face. Totally white. I've never seen anything like it."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing much. I think I just said, 'Okay,' and walked out the door. Hopped on my bike and took off."

"Wow."

"Yeah. I've never forgotten it. I think I'm quoting, pretty much, word for word because it never changes in my head. I turned it into protecting my heart means you only exchange keys, you don't share kitchen utensils."

The quiet between them is not uncomfortable. Then – "Maybe I should have that talk with Alexis."

"Rick, don't you dare!"

"Well, maybe not the whole thing...but he was telling you to honor your heart first. I think that's good."

"But, Castle, I'm almost 33 years old and I don't know how to do this. I'm an only child. I've never had to share anything. What if I screw this up?"

"You're not going to screw it up. I'm an only child, too."

"And that's supposed to help?"

"Well, it gives us something else in common."

"Seriously? That's your reassurance?"

"We're doing really well, Kate, and not just in the bedroom."

She pauses. "I know. I actually think so, too."

"So, we'll take it as slowly as you need...but let's not avoid the subject, not treat it like it's the tiger in the room."

She smiles at that. "Deal. I think there's more, though. My hesitation, it's something I still haven't figured out."

"Maybe we can figure it out together."

"Yeah."

"But come snuggle with me. There's still 4 or 5 hours 'til you go to lunch."

"But I need to finish..." she indicates the box and the piles.

He reaches into the cabinet and pulls out some small, empty containers. He places each pile into its own container and stuffs the containers back into the cupboard, along with the cardboard box and it's few remains.

"What if I forget?"

"You won't."

He helps her to her feet and they walk back to their bed together, climbing in to snuggle back to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Kate's glad they decided to meet at the restaurant, The Kitchenette. It's just a few blocks from the loft, so she's walking. She enjoys the exercise and she knows it will calm her jittery nerves, give her a chance to gain some composure. Alexis suggested 11:30 to avoid the bulk of the lunch traffic. As Kate approaches, Alexis is waiting for her at the entrance. Kate smiles as she observes the young woman looking in a the window, using it as a mirror to check her appearance. Alexis appears to be a bit fidgety. Kate checks her watch. No, she's actually a few minutes early. She takes a deep breath just as Alexis spots her. They exchange smiles and Alexis gives Kate a little wave. Kate picks up her pace and covers that last half block in a few seconds.

Alexis gives her a quick hug. Kate lets out a breath she hadn't even been aware she was holding. "I'm so glad you could come today, Kate. The rest of my week looks totally crazy. I have two papers due on Monday and a test on Tuesday. College is intense but I'm so loving it. How've you been? Keeping Dad in line, no doubt!"

Surprise. They're seated quickly. Kate's heard this place can be busy anytime of day. "Well, you know how he is...and, actually, I don't know if I even want keep him in line, anymore, even if I could!" Kate smiles at Alexis and begins to feel comfortable with her again. "And, yes, I've been anticipating our lunch ever since you asked me last week." Of course she doesn't say that she's been anxious, losing sleep, and that it's all that's occupied her monkey mind since Alexis invited her. Happy to be able to focus on the menu with it's wide assortment of breakfast and lunch items, Kate suddenly realizes that she hasn't heard a thing that Alexis is saying.

"Wait, Alexis, I sort of blanked...I'm not sure what you said. 'You're sorry...?'"

"Yes. I was just saying that I...I know I've treated you badly all summer...and longer, really. And I'm so sorry. I really respect you and I – I've just been so afraid for so long...for my dad and for all of us, really. I...it's-"

"I don't think you need to apologize, Alexis. Things have been...well, I know this is an overused phrase but it's been _complicated._"

"I know. Ever since you were shot. And I was so afraid you were going to die. And my dad. He was –he was just a wreck and then you were gone. You didn't die, which...I was so relieved but...then it was like my dad was dying when you didn't call. Gram and I told him he should call you but he said you told him not to – And then I didn't really want him to because I realized he could die just because he's in love with you...Then, that was a whole other side of it. He was so in love with you he just – and you weren't – and he wasn't – Kate, he didn't even crack his stupid jokes! Just going through the motions. I hadn't ever seen him like that. Gram said so, too. She said he'd been pretty devastated when my mom left us but he snapped himself out of it with parties and stuff and – Well, until he realized how much I needed him...but then witnessing it, how miserable he was...and then he _did_ start to get that party attitude. _Just go to Vegas. Hang out with a stewardess. Shadow that crazy cop._ I tried to distract him but I think he knows that I don't need him so much as I used to. Don't get me wrong, he's a the most awesome dad and I think I'll always need him but...you know...I sort of have my own life and even if he's a big part of it...well, I just..I'm not five years old, anymore. Then there was school and waiting for my acceptance letters and graduation – Then, over the summer, I was busy and I could hear how happy he was..._is_ because you guys are finally together. But...I've still been a little scared...It's getting better, it is, because, you know...He's just so happy! And then, I've really missed you...and...but...Oh, I feel like I've been so rude and I don't really have a right to ask you this but...I need to know if this is for always. Because he needs for it to be for always...and, well...I need for it to be for always, too. And...can I count on you for that, Kate? – For always?"

The girl, young woman really, finally pauses and is looking at Kate with those big, blue, wide open, if slightly teary eyes. She'd glanced away once or twice while she was making her speech but mostly she'd looked Kate directly in the eye.

"Wow, oh...just, wow. I've been really nervous about this lunch, Alexis. And I guess for all the reasons that you just listed..."

"Sorry. That was a lot, wasn't it? It's just, I was afraid I'd chicken out and not say everything I wanted to say. 'Cause I'm not mad, anymore. And I'm not quite as scared but I know I'd feel weird just acting like nothing happened after I've been such a bitch to you all summer. And I'm so sorry and I just hope we can get back to how it used to be."

"Oh, Alexis, yes. It's really not...I understood. Through all of it. I understood that my...confusion and inability to deal with my feelings. All of it – I knew it was impacting so many other people. Your dad, especially, but you and your grandmother, maybe everyone who cared about your dad...everyone who cared about me...I'm dealing better, now. I'm still learning stuff about myself but I've learned some things that make it different, make me different. Better."

The girl is smiling at her now. Her eyes still glistening a bit but there's definitely a smile.

The poor server. They'd each waved her away a couple of times each. Now they're signaling her to come take their order. They would double her tip. This is so important. She's glad they got it out in the open.

"You know, Kate, he really wants you to move in. Actually, I think he's hoping for even more but I know it's not my place to say that. Though I guess I've already said a lot. And if my being an ass has anything to do with your hesitation...well, just please, please forgive me. It would make him so completely happy! And it will make Gram and me happy, too."

"So, you and your grandmother have discussed this, huh?" Kate gives her what she hopes is a teasing smile.

Alexis' eyes become really round. "No! Well, yes. But not like we were gossiping about you. Gram and I talk. She's pretty smart. She actually told me that I would need to talk to you...when I was ready, of course."

"And your dad? Did you discuss this with your dad?"

"No! He would have been...I don't know, I guess nervous about it. I know he's been uncomfortable with how I've been toward you but he wouldn't force the issue – he manipulates characters in his books, not in real life. He usually gives me the opportunity to figure things out on my own, you know, learn my own lessons. _ Sometimes, _he gets really antsy when he thinks I might make the wrong choice but, overall, he gives me a lot of rope unless he thinks there's really danger. Don't let him know that I'm onto him but he's pretty smart that way. I think that's why I seem more mature than a lot of my friends. I know he's always telling people how I'm the mature one in our relationship but he really has guided me all along. Now, Lanie, on the other hand, has been bugging me to talk to you for a couple of months."

They both laugh about their mutual friend's tendency to direct everyone else's business. Kate shakes her head, "Yeah, subtlety is not a word I'd use to describe Lanie but her insight is spot on at least 99% of the time."

After a moment of silence and chewing and a sip of water Alexis asks, "So, Kate, do you forgive me?"

"Forgive you? I think I should be asking you if you forgive me."

"Oh, I already forgave you or I wouldn't be here. I still get nervous about the guy who tried to kill you. They still haven't caught him, have they." Alexis just states the fact, it's not really a question. "I think I would...and still do have concerns about all my family because I love them. And you're part of my family now, too. So...if you forgive me – Please say you'll move in."

At that instant Kate knows that she will, "Well, I kind of feel like I should tell your dad first."

And suddenly Alexis is clapping her hands like a little girl who's just been told she's getting a pony. Then just as suddenly her face drops from elation to wounded recognition. "Then you really were holding back, not moving in, on account of how I've been."

"Not exactly. I would have moved in eventually...You should see my apartment, there's almost nothing in it but my furniture and my winter clothes. It's weird, it almost echos."

"I'm so glad we got to talk, Kate. It's been eating at me. And like I said, I've missed you."

There's a lump in Kate's throat but she manages a smile when she says, "I've missed you, too."

"So, has he asked you to marry him?"

"Only about a hundred times!" And they laugh again in recognition of the persistence of the man they both love.

They gather their things and begin putting on their jackets. "You know, Alexis, he hasn't formally proposed, like on one knee or with a ring or anything." She doesn't want Alexis to think she's been rejecting her dad, still hurting him.

"Oh, he will. He wants you in our lives...always."

(-)

It feels familiar, entering this apartment with the absolute, deep knowledge of all that she desires.

"Kate?" She hears him call from the office, "I'm in here."

She goes to the door and leans on the frame. She can't help smiling but the tears are flowing freely down her face. He's on his feet and has her in his arms in seconds. "What happened?" He holds her away in order to look into her eyes. "Did Alexis..?"

"No, no, she said all the right things." She's wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Rick, I think your daughter just proposed to me."

He beams at her, relief visible on his face and in his hug. His chin is resting on the top of her head. "What did you say?"

He can feel her smile into his chest. She pulls back and gazes into his eyes.

"I think I said yes!"


	5. Chapter 5

"'I think I'm going to need you to rip off all my clothes.' or something like that."

"That can be arranged. However, I think we should move it to th-"

Suddenly, Alexis peeks around the corner of the pillar, wide-eyed, aghast, "Gross, Dad! We were just talking about TV dialogue! But I'll be going upstairs now since I'm too traumatized to stay in the same room with you!" She's joking and yet...not. Her face is crimson and she makes a shield of her hand at the side of her face. She's halfway up the stairs before he calls out, "Sorry, Pumpkin."

He turns to Kate, his eyes wide, giving her an exaggerated shrug. "I didn't think she'd be home yet..._awwk - ward!"_

Kate's blushing, too, but smiling to the point of a little chuckle. "Ah, it's moments like this...but, hey, this isn't the first time and probably won't be the last. Don't know how to make it less awkward unless we can retrofit a filter. God knows you didn't come with one!"

"I figure it can go one of two ways, everyone will get used to it. Or, the other possibility...everyone will become so uncomfortable they'll move out and we'll have the place to ourselves." He leers at her, exaggeratedly and grabs a handful of baby carrots. Still smiling, she shakes her head and looks back to her task. "What are you making?" He loves to watch her in his kitchen. It's not so much seeing her domestic side but feeling the intimacy of her knowing where everything is now. She'd remembered a lot from having stayed with them after her apartment had blown up but now...this is her home, even if she hasn't given up her apartment...entirely.

Rick continues to watch her assemble the salad, stir a simmering pot of tantalizing spaghetti sauce, and slice a beautiful loaf of her homemade Italian bread. She insists that she isn't a cook and in actuality he does have a wider range of culinary expertise but what she does, she does to perfection. Being her audience allows him time to ponder...and _delay_ a topic he's dreading. He'd had a phone call from her dad earlier. He's pretty sure this will be more than awkward but he needs to talk to her about it before she gets blind-sided.

He takes a deep breath and blurts it out. "Your dad called me today."

"Really?" Not that her dad hadn't ever called Rick but they're getting together here for brunch on Sunday, only a couple of days away.

"Yeah. He's...he'd like to bring..._a friend_...on Sunday."

There's no mistaking Rick's euphemism. Her dad doesn't want to bring a _friend_, he wants to bring a _date_. Kate feels the color drain from her face and her stomach sinks, leaving a void in her chest. She swallows hard several times but she still can't force a word around the lump that's suddenly formed in her throat. She stays focused on the task of dinner, tearing the salad greens even finer.

After an uncomfortable silence, Rick says softly, "Kate...are you O.K?"

Kate hates that she's so transparent. She can't hide herself from him anymore, even if it would be more...convenient. Thinly, she replies, " I know I should be...It was bound to happen. For all I know it's been happening. Dating. And he's just...kept it from me."

"I don't know...if he has been...keeping it from you, that is, he didn't say. I can tell you he's really nervous about this...about how you'll feel. I told him it would be fine but-"

Kate looks mortified, her eyes are fiery and her voice fairly booms, "You told him it would be _fine_? Without talking to me first?" Immediately, she's waving her hand in the air as if she can chase away her harsh words. She holds on to the kitchen counter and, looking down, she swallows some more. Still holding on to the counter with one hand, she reaches for her glass of water. "Sorry, I know. It should be fine – It will be fine. I've known for a long time that I'd have to...that he wouldn't want to be alone forever. He's...he should be happy...I just never thought. Oh, god, Rick, what the hell's wrong with me? It's been a long time. A _very_ long time."

"Well, you don't...He's probably going to call this evening but you can still think about it. Give him an answer tomorrow. When I told him it would be alright, he said that he didn't expect me to answer for you. He's going to call you later this evening. I think he was just calling me for moral support."

"_Moral support_? God, Rick. Am I _that_ _awful_? That _scary_?"

"Yes. You are the most intimidating woman I know." He says it softly and with a smile, trying to play it off as if he's teasing but, seeing her unchanging, forlorn expression, his own heart sinks. "Sorry, that was wildly inappropriate. And I know you're – How can I help?"

She knows there's more than a measure of truth underlying his teasing.

"Well, when he calls, I'll be...I'll try to be – What should I _be_? Aww! My dad's going to call me and ask if I care if he's dating? No. He's not even going to ask me if I _care_. Castle, he's going to ask me if he can bring her to meet me? I don't know how to do this, Rick!"

"Just let him lead. He probably has a speech all planned, anyway. You'll be fine. He knows it's going to be hard for you and you know it's not going to be easy for him. I will say that if he's gone out before and not said anything...then this woman must be special."

"Exactly. That's exactly what I was thinking. Maybe I should call him, get it over with..."

"That's not letting him lead, Kate, but if you have to..."

"No, you're right. I'd just like to get this butterfly, that feels like the butterfly that ate Tokyo, out of my stomach."

He turns her to him. "Let's do something to distract you, something to distract the butterfly."

"I don't know if that kind of distraction is going to work-"

"Well, not really what I had in mind...for once...but we could try that." He pulls her to him and runs his hands up her back. She closes her eyes but more in an attempt to close everything out than in surrender. He then moves one hand to cradle her chin. He kisses her gently, gradually increasing the strength of his lips, the depth of his tongue...He feels her soften to his embrace, both his arms are around her and then his hands are in her hair. He drops a kiss to her jaw and cradles the tendon on the side of her neck in his open mouth, scraping his teeth lightly down to her clavicle. He's been studying her responses to him for months and he knows her. He. Knows. Her.

She inhales sharply and moans. Her breath catches, "OK. OK. I'm...I was mistaken. You have proven your powers. You could probably distract me from a raging house fire. But let me finish dinner...I may have lost my appetite but I know Alexis was starving earlier."

He slips behind her, cradles her waist then slips his hands to the top of her thighs. He kisses the back of her neck and between her shoulder blades. She's so slender and just tall enough that he can reach _everything_ with ease and he tries. She takes hold of his wrists and firmly pulls his hands away as she turns toward him, smiling. "Later...I really am going to need you to rip off all my clothes," and, as an afterthought, she adds, "I'll even help."

He kisses her forehead before releasing her. "I'll hold you to that, Ms. Beckett."

"I was kind of hoping you would, Mr. Castle."

They enjoy their dinner: salad, pasta, the warm, crusty bread, and a light apple dessert over a little ice cream, of course. Kate eats more than she thought she would and still pushes the rest around with her fork. She's enjoying her little family. Alexis is very animated, talking about campus life, all the people she's met, especially the English grad assistant...Kate watches Rick's expression and can see that he suspects Alexis is entirely too charmed by the man. Kate's proud that he holds his tongue. No sense in ruining his daughter's excitement by veering in that direction.

All that's missing is Martha. She'll be gone for another week. Kate suspects that Martha is staying away so that they can have more time to themselves. Martha is much wiser than she appears at first glance and Kate finds herself missing the older woman and her "Martha-isms."

The summer had been a wild mix of fairytale-come-true in the Hamptons and staying on top of all that needed to be done in preparation for Alexis' departure for Columbia University. It's only technically a departure because it's basically right next door, but Alexis has made it very clear that she wants to feel as if she's away at college. It's a good choice for all of them, especially with all that's happened.

For the most part, they've stopped waiting for the other shoe to drop and only glance over their shoulders occasionally. It's likely that _they_ are still watching her to see if her retirement will stick, to see if she's really stopped. She's pretty sure she was followed a couple of times in The Hamptons but what did they see her do? Pick up produce at the farmer's market? Do a little window shopping? She's done nothing but let it go. On their little get-away to Hudson, she'd let her guard down completely. She hadn't even thought of the case or who could, potentially, be after her. She'd thought she would miss being driven but she doesn't miss the pursuit at all. She does miss her mom, sometimes she even lets the tears come. Her heart sometimes breaks that she can't share this time in her life with her mother.

Kate's quiet, on auto-pilot. They're clearing the table and sharing in the clean-up when Kate's phone vibrates on the kitchen counter, the picture of her dad pops up on the display screen. "I need to take this in the office. Rick?"

He waves his hands at her, shooing her away, "We've got this. Go."

Alexis retrieves the cards from the hall table, sits down at the dining table and begins shuffling. After she's beaten her dad at gin a few hands in a row, she says, "Dad. It's no fun to beat you when you're not paying attention. Why was Kate so quiet at dinner? Did you do something to upset her? And why can't you take your eyes off the office door?"

"Sorry, Pumpkin. I'm concerned about the conversation Kate's having with her dad. He's going to bring...I should say, he _wants_ to bring a date to brunch on Sunday."

Alexis' eyes brighten. "That should be fun-"

"Well, not so much. It seems this is a first, at least as far as Kate is aware. Her dad hasn't dated anyone since her mom died."

"Wow. How many years has it been?"

"Fourteen, before long, but I don't think that matters. It's new to Kate. And, if he's dated other women before this woman...then this is different because he's never introduced anyone to Kate. I think she's going to need our support but I don't know that she knows that yet."

"Oh."

"Yes, 'Oh!'" he echos his daughter and raises his eyebrows at her.

"This must feel kind of like losing her mom all over again."

"Yeah, that would be my guess." He pauses and then looks at Alexis, earnestly. "Sweetie, were you ever upset about my dating?"

"Well, when I was really little I just wished you would date my mom because she didn't seem that different than the women you dated and... well, _the women you dated_..." Alexis raises one eyebrow and rolls her eyes a bit. "I eventually understood that you had a 'bimbo meter.' And that if someone scored really high on the bimbo meter, she wasn't going to be around for very long."

"_Really_. And you thought of it as a _bimbo meter_?"

"Well, it was something Gram said once about somebody being too high on the bimbo scale to be allowed near me or something. I think I was about eight. And I realized then that mom was not going to change and that she was actually pretty high on the scale, too."

"Wow. The secret life of an eight year old."

"Not so secret, Dad, just quietly observant. Then when you married Gina...She was pretty nice to me but I think you were so used to screening everyone that you just kept on doing it, even after you guys got married."

"Yeah. Probably not fair but...Gina was...well, she could be really selfish and self-centered. I didn't want her to hurt you. Guess I knew on some level that it wasn't going to be forever."

No matter how many times Rick glances at the door, it's not going to produce Kate walking back in to join them. Finally, over an hour later, Kate comes out. Her eyes are a bit red and slightly puffy.

"Do you guys care if we just watch a movie? I know we said game night but I just want something mindless and maybe funny."

Finally, they settle on _It's Complicated_. Kate settles on the sofa next to Rick and curls into him. She takes hold of his hand and absently plays with his fingers. She's not 100% engaged in the movie but she laughs at most of the punchlines. Rick kisses the top of her head and whispers, "You okay?" Kate looks into his eyes and then away before she whispers back. "I will be."

"And?"

"He's bringing her. Her name is Theresa. It'll be okay...and...stop talking during the movie." She gives him a mock frown and a little kiss on his jaw.

She is fine...or she will be. What choice does she have? She really doesn't have very long to convince herself that it's okay...okay to meet her dad's _date_. She sighs heavily. Rick doesn't miss it but she shakes her head at him and points to the TV screen. Maybe later she'll feel like talking but for the rest of this evening she needs the distraction of this hilarious movie and later some of his particular brand of distraction. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. How many distractions can she come up with to fill the next 36 hours? She sighs again. It earns her another kiss on the top of her head. His body cocoons her and he snuggles her tightly against him. Having him see her and all of her vulnerabilities, that scares her a little but the alternative grows less and less attractive. He really does make it easier and she can't imagine doing this without him.

(-)

"Hey, sleepy-head." Standing over her and leaning down, he gently wakes her with a kiss to her forehead and hands under her elbows. "You missed a double-feature."

"Wha-?"

"You've been asleep for a couple of hours. Alexis and I watched a second movie but I bet you can't even tell me what it was." He pulls her to her feet and gently guides her toward the bedroom.

Groggily she protests, "Oh, no. Rock- Hor-rr Pict-show? I wanna watchit with you-and 'Lex's."

"No, not _Rocky Horror Picture Show_. We know you want to watch it with us. We watched _Mars Attacks._"

She's whines, still slurring her words, "No! I wanna watch Mar-stacks with you and 'Lex's."

"Okay, we'll watch it again-"

"Shoulda wokeme..."

"I'm sorry. We need to get you to bed now."

She looks around and all the lights but the small hallway lamp are off and the TV monitor is black. "Okay. But t'morrow?"

"Tomorrow, Kate. Tomorrow."

"I need a lot of distractions tomorrow but I think I'm too tired tonight."

"Well, I can still-"

"No, no, no! I want to be awake. I need to help."

She is adorable. She almost seems a little drunk but they only had a glass of wine with dinner. He steadies her next to the bed and starts to unbutton her shirt. She winds her arms around his neck and smiles sidelong up at him. "Kate, you are adorable." He smiles at her and chuckles. He helps her the rest of the way out of her clothes and slips her favorite old t-shirt, _his_, over her head and arms.

"You're pretty 'dorable, yourself, Castle." She kisses him and he lays her down on the bed, pulling the covers over her.

"I love you, Kate."

"Love you, too. Always."


	6. Chapter 6

Hard to believe it's already Sunday. Early. Yesterday is already a memory and yet she doesn't really remember the details. Blessed situational, anxiety-induced amnesia. There were plenty of distractions. Rick had been so attentive Saturday morning. He'd actually been attentive and helpful the entire day. And now it's Sunday. There's not much to take care of. The food that couldn't be assembled is at least prepped. She needs to shower and get ready. That's it. She hears herself sigh and commands herself to stop! Everything may be ready but she has no time to indulge in sighing and melancholy. After all, she has anxiety to implement. They would arrive in just about 3 hours and 37 minutes...but who's counting? She puts her arm around Rick and snuggles into his back. She can't stay like that but he is her rock, her solid anchor. Who knew? Well, actually, she did. His immature, silly, all play and no work image is a ruse. He is a good-hearted, patient – very patient, sensitive, caring man. Even though he teases her that the love a good woman has changed him, she's observed him for four years. Being those things isn't new to him. He's had his feet on the ground for a very long time even if he likes to present himself as a bit of a "bad boy."

She can't stay here, she needs to get up. She pulls her arm from him and he latches onto her hand. "Stay," he mumbles.

She hugs him and kisses his back. "Sorry, I just can't stay still any longer. Too antsy."

He hums his disappointment and turns toward her. "You sure? I could make it worth your while." He's smiling, a sleepy grin on his face with the equally sleepy effort to cock his eyebrow.

She hums back, "You are gifted like that. I'm just feeling too drawn to what's ahead in only," she peers over his shoulder at the clock and quickly does the math, "3 hours and 19 minutes."

He shakes his head, "But who's counting, right?"

Still fascinating, how they speak each others thoughts...but she guesses this one was a give-away. She had cued him, after all. "I need to shower..."

"Me, too! I need to shower! We could save water." He has her wrapped in his arms really tightly. She could get out of it but doesn't really want to.

"Actually..." She grins at him.

"Really?" He was up and alert, the sleepiness almost gone from his voice.

(-)

Things are in the oven that need to be. The counter is set for the buffet-style brunch. Rick has placed fresh flowers on the hall table and on the dining room table. He's really more of an entertainer than she is. There's still 45 minutes or so before they arrive. How did that happen? _Showering_ together, and all that went with it, it hadn't seemed like a _quicky_. Maybe they're just getting really proficient. Is that a good thing?

The doorbell rings. Oh, my. They are _so_ early. Rick and Kate's heads snap to each other, each of them a deer in the headlights. They hadn't even discussed who would be the greeter. Kate points at Rick and he moves to open the door to their guests as Kate moves to flank him on his right. Something isn't right. This isn't the picture Kate had in her head...another guest with them? He looks... No. Not a guest. Kate squeezes Rick's arm so hard he winces and turns to scowl at her. She's white, no color remains in her face. She eases up on his arm and he turns back to their guests, smiling, still not comprehending the look on Kate's face. Then he sees the look of absolute horror on the pale faces of her father and her father's friend. Almost inaudibly, Kate manages to utter, "Rick, it's him."

Immediately Rick understands. In a way they've been waiting for this. But now? He'd thought...He'd hoped. He starts, "We – we have no interest in – she's not pursuing anything about Johanna Beckett or anything connected-"

"Shut up. Everybody, on the floor, face down."

Face down. No. Kate pleads with the would be executioner, "I'm the one you want. Just take me somewhere away from here. I'll go with you but leave everyone else-"

The man snorts, a half grin on his face. "Everyone here is on my list, Ms. Beckett. Except for this one." He kicks the foot of Kate's father's friend who is laying face down on the floor as she was ordered. Kate can't remember her name... Terry? Terry.

"She has nothing to do with this. Please, just let her go." So far, Kate has not complied with the man's orders to lay on the floor. She notices movement on the stairs. Alexis is backing up the stairs, near the top. He hasn't noticed and Kate is counting on her poker face not to betray what she sees.

"Some people insist on being in the wrong place at the wrong time and others just accidentally wind up there. Get on the floor, Beckett. If you insist on standing, you will still be - executed – it will just be – messier."

He sees that Kate's taking her time getting in position and he hooks his foot around her ankle, spinning her a bit and speeding her meeting with the floor. The entire time, Kate is assessing, studying the angles, looking for a point of vulnerability. But she's running out of time.

"It seems we're missing someone. Where's the co-ed?"

"Not here," said Kate, maybe a little too quickly.

"Why do I not believe you, Detective? Oh, wait, you're no longer a detective. 'Ms.' was correct, now wasn't it? The co-ed. Call her in here."

Kate's wishing she were close enough to wrap her legs around his and take him down but he's maintaining a distance. It could be a dangerous maneuver, anyway.

"I said call her in here, _Dad_. She'll want to be with her family at a time like this."

Castle spoke, "She was gone when we got up this morning. You know how kids that age can be."

"_Tsk-tsk_. Just like your daughter, I've completed my homework perfectly, Mr. Writer. She's not that kind of kid and we both know it. I don't like it when I get non-compliance. Call her in here. Now."

Just as he finishes his demand, there's movement on the stairs and he turns to see Alexis holding Kate's personal glock.

Kate can see the evil man's feet now. She has to act quickly.

"Drop it, Alexis." If Alexis is surprised that he knows here name, she doesn't show it.

"You drop it, you sack of crap." Alexis focuses the gun on him. Still face down on the floor, Kate can see her a little if she turns her head really hard to the left.

"Augh," Kate cries out in anguish. He kicks her a second time, really hard in her right side. Pain be damned she knows where he is and she knows he's a little distracted by Alexis aiming a gun at him. In a flash, she rolls right and scissors his legs with hers and flips him onto his back. Simultaneously, a gun fires. Is it Alexis or is it him? He crashes sideways, into an end table and rolls to his back. He's moving but he either hit his head on the corner of the table or Alexis fired a bullet that grazed his head because he's bleeding and not as coordinated as he was. Kate wrestles with him and sees his gun coming toward her face but by now Castle is in the mix and grabs the guy's arm, pulling the gun out of it's aim at Kate. It fires up and into the corner where the wall meets the ceiling. Rick slams the hand gripping the gun into the floor and throws his full weight into the guys neck and chest with his knee. He hears something crack as the gun skitters from the guys hand – but not very far. Kate scrambles to grab it and trains it on the guys head. He's not moving. Castle, still on top of the guy, looks at Kate and shakes his head. "I think he's gone. I think I broke his neck."

He did appear to be lifeless but Kate isn't taking any chances. Rick stands and moves to a chair. He sits, breathless and runs his hand over his face. Alexis goes to Rick and stands as close to him as she can without sitting in his lap. He puts his arm around her waist. "Kate, really. I think he's gone."

"You don't know, Castle! On the roof, he just kept coming." Tears are gushing down her face, as she keeps the gun focused on the dead man.

Then the knock. "NYPD!"

Kate looks up, somewhat puzzled. "I called Esposito," says Alexis and she moves to let them in.

Ryan and Esposito. The whole team. Ryan steps to her and gently removes the gun from her hand. He holds her gaze, his eyes steady and gentle. "You okay, Beckett? Were you hit?" She begins to sob. So not like her but she can't help it. "No. Not hit. His blood."

Alexis speaks up, "I shot. I don't know if I hit him."

Esposito, his brow furrowed, comes back in from the kitchen. "Got a call into the M.E. She should be here any minute."

About then Terry smiles, "Well, Kate, I've heard a lot about you. You too, Rick. Alexis. From the looks of things, I'd say your dad wasn't exaggerating – I would have been just as impressed with a demonstration at the shooting range, though."

A sense of humor. Terry was going to fit right in.

* * *

**This chapter and the next are in memory of my friend, T.C. who made her transition 17 years ago due to breast cancer. **


	7. Chapter 7

It feels like a dream. Everyone is moving and talking and almost acting normally. But this isn't normal. Kate is answering the officers' questions. She sees out of the corner of her eye that various officers, including Ryan and Esposito, are interviewing everyone else, too. They're taking measurements. They're taking pictures. They're getting ready to remove the body. She's glad but that seems fast. But time – maybe more time has elapsed than she thinks.

"I'm sayin' this is the most aromatic crime scene I've been to – in a _good_ way." Lanie's smiling at Kate from her position near the body as they prepare to bag it.

Kate realizes what Lanie's talking about and hurries to remove a couple of brunch items from the oven. Definitely browned and only slightly beyond perfection, they can eat them later if their appetites return. It's hard to believe she was the only one injured. She has some bruising frrom being kicked and Rick will be sore tomorrow but nothing's broken or cut.

Everyone's given their respective statements. Lanie says it looks like the COD is probably asphyxiation, though he does have a huge gash on the side of his head from hitting it on the end table. She'll know more when she gets him on her table. Meanwhile, Alexis is relieved when Lanie notes aloud that there doesn't appear to be any bullet penetration.

Rick offers the team brunch and is passing bottles of water around. He and Alexis are setting up the counter for a brunch buffet. Her dad and Terry are in the kitchen busy with the preparations, too. Everything seems so surreal, if only in everyone's normal behavior. Kate wonders if she's the only one who feels like reality is fading in and out.

"Castle," Kate whispers, "We're going to run out of food."

"Nah, I've got a bunch of stuff in the freezer. We'll be fine. I can send out for some more if you want."

"I think that's a good idea...except it means another stranger could potentially gain access-"

"Not to worry. I'll call my guy at The Kitchenette. See if they can bring us some _brunchy_ stuff."

"You have a _guy_ at The Kitchenette?" Kate rolls her eyes. That's a good sign. She's beginning to feel a little more normal, herself.

"When will you learn, Dete-, uh, Kate? I've got guys everywhere." He hadn't accidentally called her "Detective" in a long while. It must be the crime scene. She's smiling and shaking her head at him while moving to the kitchen to help Alexis and her dad and Terry.

"Sorry, Terry, let me get that." Terry's lifting a large casserole from the oven as Alexis sets the trivet on the counter. The police officers from the 12th are beginning to file by, filling their plates with food, greeting Kate and Rick. A few know Alexis, too. It's like old home week. The only thing that doesn't feel very _homey_ is the crime scene tape but they've kept it to a minimum. Kate wonders if that would be the case if she wasn't a former cop.

"Oh, not a problem!" Terry was smiling at Kate with kind, sparkling eyes and Kate can't quite believe that her demeanor is so calm. "This isn't exactly what I expected but, hey, it's an opportunity to practice being grateful for the simple things – like breathing." There was a touch of laughter in her voice. " How are you holding up?"

"Me? Oh, I'm fine. Or, at least I will be. I just wish you and Dad...Actually, I wish none of us had to deal with this." Suddenly, Kate feels the weight of it all and realizes how exhausted she is. If it weren't for all the bustling going on around her she really might break down. When everyone leaves, she doesn't know what she'll do. Rick is at the door taking bags from his guy. "Let's let Rick take over with the food. He's really good at it and we can go sit in the dining room for awhile."

"Did I hear someone acknowledge that I excel at domestic engineering? Martha Stewart, look out, you have met your match. _Recognition_: _It's a good thing._" He sets the bags down and starts to pull out the items he's ordered. Kate pulls his cheek into kissing range and whispers a quick, "Love you," in his ear. He gives her that grin – the one that includes complete amazement and adoration.

Terry and Alexis and Kate take a seat at the dining room table. It feels a bit like a dream. They're all here: Rick, Alexis, her dad, Terry, and then all the guys and Lanie. Most are crammed in the dining room. Her dad and Ryan are deep in conversation in the kitchen. At the dining room table people are eating and taking little breaks. Rick brought her a plate with a tiny bit of food. He knows she won't eat much, if anything. The body was removed awhile ago. A few of the guys are still confirming measurements and angles. It's when she slows down that everything takes on the surreal quality. It's a wonder there's not a melting clock on the wall or a leopard stretched across the table.

Kate sheds a couple of tears every few minutes but mostly she's successful at holding them back. Some of the team start saying their good-byes and thanks for the food. She gets quick hugs from a few as they head for the door. This part is almost over.

The crowd eventually dwindles to just her inner circle: Rick, of course, her dad, Alexis, Ryan, Esposito, Lanie, and now, Terry. From what she's seen here today, she really likes Terry's style. She seems to be the calm in the eye of the storm. She's lost in thought about how the morning had been supposed to unfold when she realizes that Lanie, Esposito, and Ryan are beginning to say their good-byes. She stands and receives a hug from each one, thanking them as they express their relief that Maddox is gone. Really gone.

Now it's down to Rick, Alexis, her dad and Terry.

"I'm so sorry, Dad, Terry." She can feel her eyes begin to sting again.

"You couldn't have known, Kate." Terry assures her. Her dad is nodding agreement.

"Katie, I'm just glad we're all safe and he can't hurt you again." Her dad's eyes glisten as he attempts to reassure her.

Rick sits between Kate and Alexis, holding both their hands and nodding agreement with her dad. Kate doesn't argue or insert her knowing that this likely will not end with Maddox. She's sure that his employer has more than one employee.

Kate can tell that her dad and Terry are starting to shift in preparation to leave and suddenly she blurts out, "Why don't you two spend the night."

Rick looks at Kate with surprise but immediately agrees, "Great idea! We've got an extra room."

Jim looks sheepish and blushes a bit. "Well, we haven't – We aren't – Umm, we haven't taken things to that level yet." Terry's shaking her head and smiling, obviously amused at Jim's discomfort.

Alexis, suddenly grasping the gist of the conversation joins in, "One of you can sleep in my room. I can sleep on the pullout in the office."

Rick is grinning, "Perfect. Is it settled, then?"

Terry and Jim exchange a look. Kate is trying not to plead but says, "You know, I'd really feel better if we were all under one roof tonight."

Terry and Jim are nodding at each other. Alexis jumps up and says, "I'll go put fresh sheets on my bed. The guest room sheets are clean. I'll find a gown for you, Terry and I'll grab some fresh tooth brushes and towels. Am I forgetting anything, Dad?"

Rick shrugs, "Doesn't sound like it, Pumpkin."

"Is anyone hungry? There are leftovers but I'd be happy to order something." Rick was such a great host and it sounded like Alexis was following in his footsteps.

No one wants any food. It's been such a gut-wrenching day and even though it's early, everyone agrees that bedtime will be sooner than later. Rick suggests playing cards and all are in agreement but when Alexis returns from making up the bed, she excuses herself to do some homework. She doesn't have any classes until Tuesday but has some stuff she needs to look up on the Internet.

The four, Kate, Rick, Jim and Terry play a few hands of "Go Fish." Terry says it's all she can play without having to be coached. It turns out to be really fun and everyone's even laughing before long, getting acquainted. Kate is the first to start yawning but within minutes the others are following her lead. They don't fight it much and everyone heads for bed, laughing at themselves because it's only 7:15. Rick does offer food one more time but there are no takers. "Well, you know where the fridge is if you get hungry before morning."

Kate watches as Jim and Terry walk up the stairs. It's not nearly so uncomfortable as she would have imagined. Terry is funny and very kind. She can tell that she's good for her dad. She's surprised to find herself hoping that maybe they'll take it to the next level soon.

Rick guides her to the bedroom. He stops to pull the blanket up over Alexis' shoulder where she sleeps on the pullout and bends to kiss her cheek. Kate looks on, enjoying that warm spot in her chest that appears whenever Rick shows his tender dad side, which is actually quite often.

Then he's back at her side, "Come on, lady, I haven't had a chance to really hold you since this morning."

The warmth in her chest turns to an ache as she realizes how much she needs him to do just that. As much as she doesn't like to show any sign of helplessness, she allows him to remove her clothes and help her into her nightshirt. He even helps her into their bed and she doesn't care. He wraps his arms around her and holds her really close and her tears begin to fall. "Kate ar-"

She puts her fingers to his lips to silence him. "S'okay, Castle. Just hold me."

She falls asleep like that, tears soaking his t-shirt and he holds her all night long.


	8. Chapter 8

She startles awake to the sound of voices coming from somewhere...sounds so far away. She's disoriented. There's a sliver of light. What the- Oh, the drapes. They're drawn almost closed. She takes a deep breath and sinks back into the pillow. She wishes he hadn't done that, closed the drapes so that now – now her heart is pounding. Breathe, Kate. Just relax. She can hear all their voices now, Rick, her dad, Alexis, Terry. They should be happy sounds, yet she's got this lump in her throat. Don't cry. Just get up and put some clothes on and go join them – her family.

Augh! She shouldn't have looked in the mirror. She looks awful. She quickly brushes her teeth and runs a brush though her hair. She pulls her hair up into a clip and splashes water on her face. Improvement? It'll have to do. She throws on some stretchy capris and a loose fitting, silky, purple top. Purple is a good color for her. It should liven up her skin. She looks in the mirror one more time-

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty." He appears leaning against the bathroom doorframe. "You look gorgeous."

She looks back in the mirror and wonders if he needs to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist. In her perception she looks kind of gray and puffy around the eyes. "Thanks? I'm not feeling very gorgeous. Could sort of make me doubt your past compliments, Castle. Why didn't you wake me?"

"Wasn't my idea," He says, defensively. Your dad wanted to make sure you got a good sleep." She gives him a look. "Hey, they ganged up on me; kept me from coming in here. No one trusted I wouldn't wake you. Alexis sneaked in and closed the drapes. "

She hears the whine in his voice and rolls her eyes. She even attempts a smile, "Well, you could've...done _something_, Castle. I feel a little embarrassed. What time is it?"

"I don't know why you feel embarrassed, you did exactly what everyone wanted, you slept for a good long time and it's," then his voice drops, "a little after 10:00"

"Seriously?" Seven or eight o'clock was sleeping in for her.

She puts one hand on his chest, the other on his shoulder and turns him toward the bedroom doorway, the kitchen and the coffee pot her destination. She takes another deep breath and follows close behind him. She stifles a yawn and squeezes past him toward the caffeine, avoiding everyone's eyes. She needs something to jolt her into her place among – okay, among the living. There's no one here to offend. The dead guy is long gone.

"Katie, you're up! You could have slept longer."

She cocks her head and gives her dad a look that she knows he will understand while hoping no one else will. She knows he instigated the whole, _she needs her rest _routine.

She reaches for her coffee mug and then realizes that Terry has it. She finds an alternative mug. "Dad," she attempts an even tone. "I'm pretty sure I could have gotten by on less than thirteen hours." She has that sensation of being over-saturated with sleep and she's trying, she's really trying, not to be too pissed off about it. The coffee left in the pot fills her mug almost two-thirds full. _Sigh._ She pulls out the canister but there's no ground coffee. She's fighting the lump in her throat again and her eyes start to sting. This is silly. It's only coffee. Rick sees how fragile she looks and comes up behind her, bends to whisper in her ear. "I'll take care of it. I'll grind that special blend you like, with the vanilla beans. What would you like to eat?" She can't help herself, she leans into his embrace, feels his strength surrounding her. "'K. Are there bagels?"

"Hey, there's anything you want. Bagels, lox and cream cheese, eggs, potatoes, ham, bacon, sausage...pancakes?"

She turns her head up to him. Smiles. Grateful. "How 'bout a toasted bagel with butter and a little jam?"

"You got it. Go. Sit. Visit. Drink coffee. Cream is on the table."

She reaches up and gives him a tiny kiss on the jaw. He really is capable of being in charge. He's extraordinary. In this moment, she feels like she really doesn't deserve him. And she needs to not cry. What is _wrong_ with her, anyway? – No, no, no...not the _ptsd_. Please. Not that again. Or still. Or. Whatever.

She sits at the table and listens as Terry tells Alexis the story of how she and Jim started dating. As Kate had already known, they'd met at AA, "Oh, yeah," says Terry, grinning, "I had my eye on him for a long time – No, wait, that sounds like I was some kind of dirty old woman, trying to 13-step him!" Terry laughs. She actually has a fairly hideous laugh, loud and kind of – braying. That's what Castle would call it. But, oddly, it makes her seem more accessible, less stiff than Kate's first impression of her. "And I didn't want to make any moves on somebody that was just going to go back out there, not work his program. You know?" Alexis nods. Kate does, too. Both of them truly intrigued with the tale. Then Alexis asks, "What's _13-stepping_?" Terry says, "Well, in the 12-step program you're cautioned _not_ to get romantically involved with any of the newbies – And I thought Jim was pretty darned hot, so I steered clear of him. Ha!"

Kate's surprised that she's enjoying the story and grinning a little at the idea that Terry, or any woman thinks her dad is _hot_!

"Well," Jim speaks up, "I thought she didn't like me. Early on, I asked her to be my sponsor and she turned me down. I was crushed. It took me two weeks to get up the nerve to ask someone else. Then after awhile she started inviting me to some of the group activities. But for the longest time it was always with a group of five or more people so I just figured we were friends."

"Yeah, then, when his 5-year birthday started getting closer, I started asking him to coffee or breakfast before a meeting. I think I even asked you to lunch a couple of times when it wasn't anywhere close to a meeting time and it wasn't with any of our AA friends, either."

"I think so. But I just thought you'd decided we could be friends. Then, after my fifth birthday celebration, we started doing more things – in groups or just the two of us. I still didn't think I stood a chance of actually dating you." He flushes a little at sharing this bit of information with everyone.

"Then, about six months ago he confided in me that he thought he'd like to start dating but just didn't know how to get started. And I said, 'Well, what do you think we've been doing? Are you telling me you want to stop dating me and date other people?' It's really hilarious now but that whole conversation – oh, my, I'm condensing it so it' won't be as confusing now as it was then!"

"So, yeah, we'd been dating for about 4 years and I didn't even know it!"

"Not quite, Mister! That would count some of the time when I was avoiding going after you! – Or, wait, maybe not, anyway..."

Kate and Rick exchanged small smiles and then look back to Jim and Terry.

Alexis eyes are glistening but she has a huge grin on her face, "Four years! That's just like Dad and Kate!"

Rick starts to protest, "Well, Pumpk-"

"No. Dad. You and Kate didn't know you were dating either!"

Kate feels the color rising in her cheeks. She take a sip of coffee so that she can hold the mug in front of her bright pink face. Then she takes a quick glance at Rick. He seems a bit flushed, too. They've been together for a few months now. She can't believe these kinds of revelations can still affect her this way, , like how even Alexis saw what was between them before...well-

"I think you may have a point there, Alexis," Jim agrees.

"You guys, _everybody_ else knew! _Everybody_." Alexis exclaims.

Terry adds, "Well, I have to say, I thought Jim was talking about the two of you as a couple for a long time. I even asked him something about his son-in-law once and was completely confused when he corrected me."

Everyone laughs, even Kate as she looks at the table, shaking her head. She's crimson now.

The conversation continues. Lively. Laughing. Kate's momentarily forgotten the events of the day before. Pretty soon Alexis excuses herself to make a phone call and Jim and Terry stand, beginning to gather their things, the rituals of good-bye. Kate's quiet. The lump in her throat returns. _Don't cry, don't cry..._

Rick says, "I was just going to see what I could offer you for lunch." He's trying for a stall.

Fairly simultaneously, Jim and Terry respond, "No, we have a meeting to get to."

They walk to the door, still exchanging pleasantries. They all stop and look at one another for a second. Maybe two. Then everyone's hugging. "Be safe." "We'll have to get together again." "...Without the assassin." Who knows who is saying which pleasantry. Rick closes the door. The good-byes said, Jim and Terry waved down the hall...

He turns and nearly trips over her where she sits cross-legged on the floor, her head in her hands. He drops down to sit beside her. "Kate- I-"

"It's all screwed up Castle. And it's all my fault. Everyone's in danger. We're all in danger. Just because Maddox is gone, that doesn't mean it's over. And for God's sake, it was all I could do to keep from grabbing them back and making them stay. I don't want anyone to go anywhere. We weren't even safe here." The tears are rushing from her eyes, the dam is broken.

Tentatively, he reaches for her hand. She grabs it, so fiercely he jumps. She's trembling and curling into a ball. He puts his arms around her and she latches onto him, clutching and climbing into him like that's the only place and he's the only one. He takes her into his lap, wraps her snugly to him there, holds her and begins to rock, humming, not really a tune just cooing into her hair.

"I can't do this, Rick. I can't be this." She continues to tremble and he continues to hold her. He continues to rock. "Shh-sh-sh. Breathe with me, Kate. Just be here with me, right here, I'm right here. We can do this – just a few seconds at a time."

They're like this for much longer than a few seconds. Her trembling starts and then stalls in cycles. He continues to hold her. Whatever it takes. More cooing and humming. Little kisses to the top of her head as he rocks. She seems to settle in a calm place and then it starts again. "I'm sorry, Castle, I'm so sorry." "Shhh. It's okay. Not your fault." Over and over. He's saying the same things, hoping it's enough. Hoping that he's really helping. Rocking and holding. Cooing and humming. The light fades a bit. She's been quiet for awhile now and still he continues to rock. Slowly. Slower. Slow.

And then they're both quiet.

"Rick, I think I need to get up. My foot has a cramp."

"Okay. Where-"

"I think I want to stretch out on the bed."

"You hungry?"

"Not really, you?"

"Maybe. Just a little."

"Time 's it?"

"I have no idea. Let's get you to the bed."

"I can go-"

"I'll tuck you in and go make us a snack. I'll wrap it so you can eat it now or later."

"'K... Castle?"

"Yeah."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

She's already crawled in bed and is laying on her side with her back to him. He pulls the covers up over her shoulder. Her breathing's evened out. He stays beside her, stroking her hair. He'll make her something and put it in the office fridge.

She's sleeping now.


	9. Chapter 9

_**I labelled this story M because I thought it would "go there" more than it has. If you are underage or don't like M fiction, this chapter, Chapter 9, is still very T. Chapter 10 will be M and is really part of this chapter but it won't detract from the story if you skip it and pick up with Chapter 11 which as yet is not written.**_

* * *

His eyelids feel glued together. He peels them open to find her side of the bed empty. He's already reached for the spot where he's grown used to finding her. Cold. He's usually so aware of her actually leaving the bed. This time she's been gone for a while. He checks the bathroom, not there. He pads into the kitchen, wiping his hand over his entire face, like he can wipe away the sticky confusion. She's sitting at the bar, staring at – what? He follows her line of vision to the top of the cabinets, to nothing. She's staring at nothing and she's very far away.

"Kate?"

He'd thought he might startle her but she doesn't even flinch. She turns to look at him. Unsmiling. She looks so vacant, desolate. If he didn't have to be strong, this look would shatter him.

"Would you like me to make some coffee? Maybe something to eat?"

She's silent a moment longer. He thinks maybe she's coming back into the room. But, no. She shakes her head and flatly says, "I think I'll go... um, back to bed. Didn't really sleep."

"Okay. Can I bring you anything?"

"Not right now." And she gets up to leave the room. He needs to wrap his arms around her. He wants reassurance so badly. He reaches out and pulls her to him. She stumbles a bit and allows him to embrace her but she's stiff and still and not responsive. He kisses her forehead as he releases her and she goes, making her way back to the bedroom.

He piddles around the kitchen. Makes coffee and some toast. Cleans up. Reads the paper. Great. He thinks it's been a whole 35 minutes. He should have asked her how long she wants to sleep. Should have asked if she cares if he joins her in a bit. He's having a hard time, himself, but seeing her like this – he doesn't even want to find words for the way she is right now. Oh, God. His eyes are stinging. He knows -

"Hey, Dad." then she sees him. "Dad, are you crying?"

"No, sweetheart," and he tries to smile, he really does but he knows she can see the tears pooling in his eyes, "I – well, pretty close to it, I guess. This whole thing is just-" He swipes at his eyes to keep the moisture from spilling to his cheeks, to keep the emotion from being real.

"I know. For awhile it sort of seemed like things were normal. Happy even..._really happy_. I knew the guy was still out there but... it seemed like he went away. And then..." Alexis doesn't fight the tears falling silently down her face. She doesn't reach to wipe them away. Not immediately.

"Oh, Pumpkin, I'm so sorry. I've been really caught up in Kate's reaction – and my own and I haven't even-"

"Oh, Dad, no, it's okay. I'm doing okay, really." She pauses. Wipes her cheeks. "I've felt a little emotional but I saw you comforting Kate in the hall last night. And I can see how much she needs you right now. And truly, I know it was a big deal but I feel okay. I guess this is just the first time I've been in the middle of it, in _the eye of the storm_, you know?"

"Well," he takes a breath, "we do need to talk about some things... Like, I'm not sure you should go back to school just yet-"

"Dad. Come on. I don't have any classes today but I have a paper due on Friday and I can't just drop out of my life. The guy's dead. And he wasn't even after me!"

"That's just it. Maddox was only one hired killer. We don't even know how-"

"Well, I kind of knew that, but seriously. Dad. They aren't after me."

Rick sighs. Is his daughter just that innocent or is she in denial because she doesn't want her new life disrupted? "Alexis. Did you not hear what Maddox said about you? He knew you were here. He knew things about you. He told us to call you downstairs and we tried to bluff and say you hadn't come home. But he knew. He knew about Jim and Terry coming here for brunch or at least he spotted them coming in. He knew who they were. They know who all of us are. It's not just Kate. They'll target anyone she cares about."

"Who are they, Dad? Why haven't the police figured that out yet? Isn't that their job?"

"I wish I knew. I wish anyone knew. Then we'd have a place to start taking it apart. But we don't and there's a bunch of stuff that needs to happen before I want you taking even one step outside this apartment."

"Like what? You can't be serious about-"

"I mean, Alexis, whatever it takes. To keep you safe. I'm going to talk to Esposito. He knows people with top security skills. There's police detail on Jim and on Terry for the time being and there's a unit out in front of this building, right now. I just need to get some private security going and I need someone to sweep the loft for bugs. All our phones need to be checked. And-"

Alexis' eyes grow really large. "You _are_ serious, then. You're not just playing some _spy game_. This could be weird if I have to go to school surrounded by body guards."

"Not body guards, Alexis. The people I hire will have to blend in, they'll have to be the best. That's why I need to talk to Javi. But if I can't make that happen - and basically that means if Esposito doesn't know anyone that we can trust - then you may be looking at putting school on hold. Even if – even if that's not what any of us want. I need you safe. And I can't see any other way. "

He knows Alexis can see the tears standing in his eyes again and he doesn't care. He doesn't even care if he's scaring the crap out of her. She needs to understand the magnitude of the danger.

"Okay." Alexis' voice is soft and she doesn't take it further. She doesn't look happy but – okay. She seems to be starting to get what he's saying. "I'm going upstairs to work on my paper. And, Dad – Keep me in the loop, okay?"

"Okay. Do you want me to fix you something to eat?"

"No. I'm not really hungry. Maybe later?"

"Sure. I'm going to check on Kate. Maybe take a nap. I slept but I still feel exhausted."

"Sure, Dad. And, Dad, If you can sleep that's probably good. I can make something if I get hungry."

"Alright, then." He attempts a grin but doesn't feel it. "Do you need a hug? ...'cause I do. I definitely need a hug."

He pulls her in, hugs her tightly and probably a little too long. Then he kisses the top of her head and she kisses him on the cheek before she turns and runs up the stairs to work on her paper. He watches her feet disappear at the top of the stairs. His heart is in his throat. He hopes she truly gets it. It's just about more than he can stand to worry about her this way...to worry about all of them this way. It's exhausting.

(-)

Kate doesn't stir when he comes into the room. He slips into bed and spoons up to her back. She stiffens at his touch and then relaxes again. He feels her breathing even out. His mind is spinning with all the things that he needs to do. Maybe he should get back up, make some calls. If he sleeps – if he sleeps, what? His throat constricts. He feels utterly helpless and just – it wasn't supposed to be like this. What had he thought? That he could hold them at bay forever? And now? What did he really know? People had died. How many near misses could Kate endure? How long would they continue to miss? He needs to talk with her again about moving in. She's not going to like it, not under the circumstances. Kate Beckett doesn't like to feel cornered, she likes options and-

Kate stirs and moans in her sleep, throwing his arm off her side. She jumps out of bed and turns to face him, wild-eyed, her arms come up to shield her face. It's obvious that she's not present, not really awake.

Softly he says her name. "Kate." Evenly. Cautiously. "It's okay, Kate. You're at home." He's not sure she can hear him but her face turns toward him. "Kate... Beckett?" Her awareness begins at her scrunched eyebrows. Her shoulders slump. She closes her eyes and reaches out for his hand, still not fully awake she climbs onto the bed to sit on the edge, covering her eyes with the hand not holding his.

"Nightmare," she says. She rubs her forehead, her entire face. He lets her sit for a minute, not questioning, not comforting. Silent. Then-

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. I think I should take a shower. Did you sleep?"

"No. I can't seem to shut off my mind."

"Normal – in case you don't know that... but we need or at least I need to talk to Burke."

"Good idea. Would you mind – um, do you think he would make a house call?"

"_Castle_, I can't be a prisoner in my own home!"

Okay, definitely a Beckett response and at least she's still thinking of this as home. "No, I was thinking more that I could probably benefit and maybe Alexis...I think we all could. Even your dad and Terry. I'd pay him triple his fees, more if you think-"

"I'll put a call into his office. It may take a while to arrange something like that and I'm..."

She trails off.

"Whatever, you decide, Kate. I just feel...Well, I feel like crap...and I can see-"

"What? That I look like crap?" She smiles. A soft smile but a real Kate Beckett smile, the love showing in her eyes again.

He seizes the moment. "And, Kate, I think we ought to hire some movers to just remove your stuff from your apartment and put it in storage. If there's anything you need you can ask Lanie to-"

"Oh, Rick, no! Seriously? I can't live like that. I need to pack my own stuff and..." She stops, realizing the decision to move is okay, she's made the choice, still wants this. Just not the logistics. She needs more control of – of _everything_.

He chooses to remain quiet. It's not easy for him but he knows she needs to be the one to come to it. He can't – He keeps her hand in his, brings her fingers to his lips, and prepares mentally to ride it out. Also, not easy for him. He has very little patience for the other people's process. They are seated on the bed, thigh to thigh, hand in hand. She lays her head on his shoulder, and sighs, "You're right."

It's all he can do to keep from squeaking out, _"Really?" _Instead he says, "I'm going to call Javi about security. I want to make sure that they're top-notch and they'll probably know the best way to get the move done – And I want you to know that even though this isn't how either of us pictured it-" He pauses and turns toward her, places his fingers along her jaw line, his thumb on her chin and turns her face to his. He's surprised to find himself a little choked up and he continues, desperate for her to really know, he looks directly into her eyes, "Even though this isn't how either of us pictured it, I am so happy that you're moving in and – I love you, Kate. I love you."

Her smile reaches her eyes before it reaches her mouth and then her mouth, in slow motion, turns up at the edges. Then she's smiling, that full, broad smile right into his face, into his heart. "I love you, too, Rick. And I – this is my home. You. You are my home."


	10. Chapter 10

_**This is a tiny little insert that is definitely M. It's an extension of Chapter 9...9M, if you will. Do not read this part if you are underage or if you don't like M fiction. I labelled this story M because I thought I would "go there" more than it has up to now. The insert adds to Chapter 9 but won't detract from the story if you don't read it. If you read, I hope you like. Let me know.**_

* * *

She reaches her hand to the back of his neck and touches her forehead to his. She looks up to his eyes through her thick lashes. Her eyes drop to his mouth before she shifts her gaze back to his eyes. She softly traces her lips over his, gently, almost timidly. Even in it's gentleness the kiss ignites something unexpected, that pulls, like a powerful, raw magnet in her solar plexus. Everything's been so crazy. She leans back a second, looks at his mouth again, back to his eyes and is surprised to recognize her hunger mirrored there...she wants him. Right now. And he wants her. How do they do that? 0-60 in how many seconds? Doesn't hurt that it's been such a long time...well, several days, anyway. More than a week. Two?

He starts gently, almost cautiously. Eases her to a reclining position.

No. That's not - She wants it – not to be gentle. She needs it to be intense, needs to feel his determination and her own. She needs for their determination to wipe away all her thoughts of being hunted. Turn the tables. Be the hunter. She captures his mouth with her teeth. Dives inside with her tongue. Shows him what she wants.

It's his turn to pull back. He stares the question into her eyes. She gets it, why he might think she needs soothing but - She answers him with another commanding kiss. He yields to her power and follows with his own. Seeking every answer like she's the only one who knows.

Fingers are flying at fasteners , buttons unbuttoning, zippers sliding open, articles of clothing cast across the room. And when they are both completely bare she wraps her leg around his for leverage and flips him to his back, like it was simple choreography.

He pulls her toward him for a kiss and she resists. Kneeling next to him on the bed, she throws one leg to his other side. Her eyes fall steady on his, piercing and unwavering, like the victor and tease that she is. She towers above him.

He runs his palms up the side of her thighs to her hips. She grabs his wrists, quickly pinning his hands to the bed, one on either side of his head. She likes feeling her own strength, enjoys the feeling of power, knowing that right now, his wanting her consumes him.

She kisses him again, her tongue seeking every surface and crevice of his mouth. She begins to lower herself to him but not quite. Teasing. Prolonging. Postponing...just above...She knows he can sense the damp, sultry heat, hovering. He makes a noise, deep in his throat.

"What's that, Castle? Been awhile?" Her voice is heavy. Intoxicating.

She quickly runs her hand down the length of his torso. He arches and shudders. She wraps her fingers around his pulsing length; slides her hand the full distance to his pubic bone, tightens slightly and back. And, again. And. Again. And. Again...

She leans down and rhythms her tongue and teeth along the tendon of his neck. He breathes out nearly a whimper. She covers his mouth with hers, silencing the whimper. Continues with her fingers, her full hand. Full. Persistent.

She bends deeply. Lowers her mouth to his nipple. Circles with her tongue. Soft sucking. He pants a moan. Breathing, "Kate..."

Overcome. She can't. Can't keep up the teasing. Her own want. Primal. She lowers herself onto him quickly. Slick and easy. Not gently but mercifully. From somewhere that seems like a distance she hears her own moan. Deep. Low. And she begins to rock. Slowly. Intensely. Squeezing and releasing. Slick. Muscles engulfing. Upright. Finding that one spot, the spot where their bodies fit so perfectly. The place. That ignites. Fast. She. Never happened this fast. So. Aware. Every. Beginning. Each. Spasm. Her entire body. Uncontrollable. Whipping of her hips towards his. Her release. Beginning. Close.

"Castle." A quiet but desperate cry. Quiet. Don't be too loud. Quiet. It's as if suppressing the innate sound increases the eruption from the root of her being and the flush rises to span every fiber, tumbling and twisting every nerve. Must be. Beyond her body. Everywhere. On. And. On...

And... just as she is beginning her descent, he begins. The uncontrollable undulating waves. She pulls his hands to her hips and he pulls her into his writhing, the raw rhythm, instinctual, movement that is more spasm than purpose and he rides his own wave with movements that very nearly have her climbing again. One. Pounding. Thundering. Shudder. And he stills...

She moves against him and he cries out, "N-NO!" and then softer, "Easy. Can't take... Too... much. No move." She grins at him. He grins back.

"Well, then... how do you propose I get down from here, Castle?" She laughs.

"Well...just. Carefully." His voice nearly squeaks. Their eyes meet and they both burst into giggles. It feels good. Good to laugh. Good to come. Good to be here. Good.


End file.
